Bibby Marine has placed an order with the Spanish shipyard Gondan for what it claims to be the world’s first zero-emission, electrically powered Commissioning Service Operation Vessel for use in the offshore wind sector.
The eSOV for Bibby Marine is to be equipped with a powerful battery system and dual-fuel methanol engines to ensure emission-free operation. The vessel has high-voltage offshore charging facilities and can run solely on battery power for over 16 hours between charges. [ds_preview]
The ship was developed in collaboration with the British ship designer Longitude. The project is being funded as part of the UK Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Vessels and Infrastructure (ZEVI) program. The ship is due to be delivered in 2026.
According to the shipyard, the newbuild represents “a natural progression of Gondan’s expertise, having already gained extensive experience in building low-carbon Conventional Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) and now moving to a zero-emission variant”.
